PreppenWolf
Solar Addict
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2022
- Messages
- 932
I haven't tried melting snow, but I have tried backfeeding PV panels.
Every cell is a diode, and it operates forward-biased, not reverse biased.
One illuminated PV panel connected in parallel with one side a dark room didn't drive enough current to do anything interesting.
With two panels wired 2S placed in full sun, paralleled with a single panel in dark room, the current flowing through the dark panel was about 0.4 x Isc. In the case of my 165W panels, about 2A at 41V or 82W dissipated.
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Measuring PV panel performance
Zoomed in on the one bad panel. Good news it it can be tested in-situ, so no need to disconnect anything to inspect for failing panels. Works best during operation. Those were Sharp 165W. Now for AstroPower 120W and SunPower 327W Two panels as power source, producing 79 Voc, 41V @ 2A into...diysolarforum.com
If you have a power supply to deliver Voc to your array or to a string, at 40% of rated wattage, that could work. (may be a tall order)
We do have to stop and think whether portions of the array could be damaged, especially when parts of the array clear as described by Efficient, resulting in power and temperature not being evenly distributed.
Save soot and apply to face of panels with a blower (to more efficiently absorb light)?
View attachment 123815
This. We have a wood stove for all our winter heat. We spread the ash on the walkway to melt snow and ice.